previous 1975; latest ratified 30 September 1987, effective 30 October 1987; amended 1992; note - in 2012, the president appointed a commission to revise the constitution (2012)

Executive branch

chief of state: President Desire Delano BOUTERSE (since 12 August 2010); Vice President Robert AMEERALI (since 12 August 2010); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of governmenthead of government: President Desire Delano BOUTERSE (since 12 August 2010); Vice President Robert AMEERALI (since 12 August 2010)cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the presidentelections: president and vice president elected by the National Assembly or, if no presidential or vice presidential candidate receives a two-thirds constitutional majority in the National Assembly after two votes, by a simple majority in the larger United People's Assembly (893 representatives from the national, local, and regional councils), for five-year terms (no term limits); election last held on 19 July 2010 (next to be held in 2015)election results: Desire Delano BOUTERSE elected president; percent of vote - Desire Delano BOUTERSE 70.6%, Chandrikapersad SATOKHI 25.5%, other 3.9%

Flag description

five horizontal bands of green (top, double width), white, red (quadruple width), white, and green (double width); a large, yellow, five-pointed star is centered in the red band; red stands for progress and love; green symbolizes hope and fertility; white signifies peace, justice, and freedom; the star represents the unity of all ethnic groups; from its yellow light the nation draws strength to bear sacrifices patiently while working toward a golden future

Independence

25 November 1975 (from the Netherlands)

Judicial branch

highest court(s): High Court of Justice of Suriname (consists of the court president, vice president, and 4 judges)note - Suriname can appeal beyond its High Court to the Caribbean Court of Justice, with final appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)judge selection and term of office: court judges appointed by the national president after consultation with the High Court; judges appointed for lifesubordinate courts: cantonal courts

Legal system

civil law system influenced by Dutch civil law; note - the Commissie Nieuw Surinaamse Burgerlijk Wetboek completed drafting a new civil code in February 2009

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly or Nationale Assemblee (51 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)elections: last held on 25 May 2010 (next to be held in May 2015)election results: percent of vote by party - Mega Combination 45.1%, New Front 27.5%, A-Com 13.7%, People's Alliance 11.8%, DOE 1.9%; seats by party - Mega Combination 23, New Front 14, A-Com 7, People's Alliance 6, DOE 1

A-Combination (a coalition that includes the General Liberation and Development Party ABOP (Ronnie BRUNSWIJK), and SEEKA (Paul ABENA))Basic Party for Renewal and Democracy or BVD (Dilip SARDJOE)Basic Party for Renewal and Democracy or PVF (Soedeschand JAIRAM)Democratic Union Suriname or DUS (Japhet DIEKO)Mega Combination Coalition (a coalition that joined with A-Combination and the PL to form a majority in Parliament in 2010 - includes the National Democratic Party or NDP (Desire Delano BOUTERSE) (largest party in the coalition), Progressive Worker and Farmer's Union or PALU (Jim HOK), Party for National Unity and Solidarity of the Highest Order or KTPI (Willy SOEMITA), DNP-2000 (Jules WIJDENBOSCH), Union of Brotherhood and Unity in Politics BEP (Caprino ALENDY), and New Suriname or NS (Nanan PANDAY))National Union or NU (P. VAN LEEUWAARDE)New Front for Democracy and Development or NF (a coalition made up of the National Party of Suriname or NPS (Runaldo VENETIAAN), United Reform Party or VHP (Ramdien SARDJOE), Democratic Alternative 1991 or DA-91 - an independent, business-oriented party (Winston JESSURUN), Surinamese Labor Party or SPA (Siegfried GILDS))Party for Democracy and Development in Unity or DOE (Carl BREEVELD)Party for the Permanent Prosperity Republic Suriname or PVRSPeople's Alliance, Pertjaja Luhur's or PL (Paul SOMOHARDJO)(includes D-21 (Soewarta MOESTADJA) and Pendawa Lima (Raymond SAPEON), which merged with PL in 2010)note: BVD and PVF participated in the elections as a coalition (BVD/PVF) in the most recent elections, but separated after the election

name: "God zij met ons Suriname!" (God Be With Our Suriname)lyrics/music: Cornelis Atses HOEKSTRA and Henry DE ZIEL/Johannes Corstianus DE PUYnote: adopted 1959; the anthem, originally adapted from a Sunday school song written in 1893, contains lyrics in both Dutch and Sranang Tongo